Outbreak
by VyxenSkye
Summary: Final in Sky of Night Saga. Aizen is dead, the war is over… at least, that’s what they thought. Something is infecting the Soul Society, and the twins try to find the source when it starts infecting their family, which brings them back to Las Noches...
1. Chapter 1

Outbreak

By: Hitokiri Musei

Rated: T  
Summary: Sequel to Finding You. Aizen is dead, the war is over… at least, that's what they thought. Something is infecting the Soul Society, and when it starts attacking their family, the twins once again try to find the source, leading them back to Las Noches and at the same time bringing them closer to each other.

Warnings: **THIS IS TWINCEST!** Since Finding You never went fully into the Twincest thing, this one will. I must admit, I was loathe to leave my twins, and so "Outbreak" was born. This is post mpreg, as well as IchiHitsu.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, but I do own the twins, Kurosaki Yoru and Sora, as well as the character of Sora Kitsune.

* * *

Chapter 1

_Relief flowed through everyone as the oppressive reiatsu faded, and then Espada began to fall. The war was finally over after so long, and now everyone could rest, life could get back to normal. _

_Down below the castle of Las Noches, a group of men and women moved out of the room that had once belonged to Szayel Aporro Graz, the Eighth Espada. The room was destroyed now, and the form of Szayel was crumpled in the corner, broken and dead. As the group moved towards the doorway someone hung back, looking around with a confused look. Shaking his head, the man started after his companions. _

_No one noticed the smoking vial that had broken on the floor._

* * *

Kurosaki Yoru, age 19, woke with a start, sitting up straight in bed, panting and sweating. He rubbed a hand over his forehead, moving the dark orange strands away from his skin. _What a dream…_

A hand rubbed over his bare back, and then a form sat up beside him. "Yoru? Are you okay?"

Yoru turned dark teal eyes to meet identical orbs, his face softening slightly. "Yea, I'm fine. Just a dream."

Kurosaki Sora smiled slightly, his fingers trailing lightly down his twin's spine. "Are you sure? It's been a while since I've seen you this shaky."

"I'm fine." Yoru said firmly, turning to put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "Like I said, just a dream. It's nothing that I can't handle. Now come on, let's get some more sleep. It's still dark out."

Sora nodded, settling down on their shared futon. Yoru lay on his back, and Sora settled against him, resting his cheek on his brother's shoulder and sighing, closing his eyes. This was the kind of contact that they had missed in the time that they had been away from home, hunting for their parents.

They had shared a futon all their lives, and so this was nothing new to them. Sora smiled slightly, rubbing his cheek against Yoru's collarbone. The elder twin brushed a hand over the younger's hair, closing his eyes and relaxing. He felt so much safer here in their own home, warm in their futon together.

Yoru could feel the comforting reiatsu of their parents in the room down the hall, and he relaxed further, his mind starting to slip into sleep.

Things were back to normal, even now, nearly three weeks after the defeat of Aizen. All of the excitement had begun to settle, and now the twins were settling into their life without the fear of the war, for the first time in their lives.

The twins sighed in synch, and then let sleep take them.

* * *

_Click!_

Yoru dusted off his hands, a grin on his face as he started to calm his breathing. Kogasu purred faintly in his mind, the tiger pleased with himself and his young master. Yoru could also feel the cool appreciation of Koorimasu as the tigress purred softly. The teen turned his eyes to his brother's, smiling at his twin.

Sora stretched, pulling the kinks out of his body. "Good spar, Yoru."

The elder grinned. "Of course. Any spar with me is a good one." He glanced off the arena, looking to where the rest of the squads were working. "Do you think Dad is ready to get everyone back together? It's almost time for training for today to be over."

Sora shrugged, moving to his brother's side to fall into step beside him. The two of them made their way to the edge of the training grounds, searching for the orange hair of their father as they moved. They spotted him not far off the grounds, his arms folded over his chest and Zangetsu thrust into the ground beside him. His white haori was damp with sweat; it was obvious that he had been working out just like the rest of them. He appeared to be in a deep conversation with Kitsune, his fierce _fukutaichou_.

The twins frowned as one, moving forward towards their father and adoptive aunt. Ichigo's eyes moved to them as they stopped beside him, and then he sighed, running a hand over his orange hair. "Hey boys."

Sora's face was concerned as he watched his father's eyes. "Dad, what's going on?"

Kit frowned, her green eyes flashing to Ichigo before she looked back to the twins. "It's nothing you boys should be worried about. Now, I heard that your Papa was looking to get some help today with something in his squad. I'm sure that he would appreciate you two helping him out."

Yoru instantly chomped on the comment. "Right, I remember him saying that! Something about whipping some of his greenhorns into shape! Come on, Sora, let's go! It's about time we got a good workout, other than just sparring each other!"

The younger followed his brother, but as they left he looked back to their father, he felt a bit of worry flood through him. Ichigo looked worried.

Sora shook his head slightly, turning his eyes back towards the 10th division compound.

_It's probably nothing…_

* * *

Sora felt more and more worried. They hadn't found their Papa at the compound, instead being turned away by Matsumoto's somber cornflower blue eyes. Yoru was starting to get uncomfortable as well, and Sora snuck a hand into his, squeezing his fingers in an attempt to calm him down.

When they went back to their house between the two compounds they instantly felt the reiatsu of their parents inside. Sora moved a little faster than his brother, his dark teal eyes searching for his Papa's as they entered the main room.

"Papa?" Sora asked softly as he saw the concern on the small man's face.

Kurosaki Toshiro frowned, meeting his son's eyes briefly before looking away. Yoru copied his Papa's frown, taking a step forward. "Dad, Papa, what's going on? How come everyone is so quiet today?"

Ichigo sighed faintly, running a hand through his orange hair before starting to shrug out of his white haori, hanging it on the wall where Toshiro's was already hanging. "Do you boys remember Riku, from our squad?"

Sora nodded. "Yea, we really liked him." Riku had been a man in the second squad in division 9; he had trained with the twins when they were younger, and had been one of their prime subordinates once they had become seats 3 and 4.

"He…" Ichigo paused. "He passed away earlier today."

Yoru blinked in shock. "Riku… he was just sick. You said that he would just be away for a while."

Ichigo nodded. "That's what I thought. Unfortunately Unohana came to me earlier today and informed me that he lost most of the control of his body and suffocated because he couldn't work his lungs."

Sora looked down, sadness flowing through him. "Wow… I never expected that…"

"So that's why everyone is so down today…" Yoru murmured.

Toshiro shook his head. "No, that's not exactly it."

Sora's eyebrows moved together. "Papa…"

"The rest of squad 2 has come down with a similar sickness. Two of them are expected to not last through the night. Three others from squad 6 have started to show symptoms, and one more from squad 3 has complained of weakness and not feeling well." Ichigo said grimly, his chocolate eyes somber.

A moment later Sora caught on. "An epidemic?"

Toshiro nodded. "Unohana has isolated everyone showing symptoms."

"All of them…" Sora murmured. "All of them were the ones who went to Las Noches during the final attack."

"Exactly." Ichigo said. "Which means that this is something they picked up there, meaning we have no idea what it is, or how to cure it. And it's spreading fast."

Sora and Yoru spoke as one. "Shit."

* * *

Just to warn you guys, this story won't go nearly as fast as Finding You did. There are only two chapters written, so updates may be few and far between. I'm posting this now so you guys know it is here, and to give you a bit of a treat, but just a warning...


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here's chapter two... as for the question about updates, they'll probably be sporadic at best; I'll try not to leave them for too long, but it all depends on how much I can get done; I am a busy college student, and I also work almost 25 hours a week. I'll do the best I can, but do have faith in me. I will not abandon this story.

* * *

Chapter 2

Sora shifted uncomfortably where he sat on the examination table, his dark teal eyes flickering towards the door, where he knew Yoru to be on the other side. He had been alone in this room for a few moments, and he was starting to get nervous.

A moment later the door slid open and Unohana came into the room, her face gentle as she went to the teen's side. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, Sora-_kun_. I've already examined your brother though, and he's fine. I have a feeling that you will be as well."

Sora sat quietly while the gentle woman performed her examination, though he shifted uncomfortably a few times. After a moment she stood back with a smile. "You're just fine. Your brother is waiting for you just outside the door."

The boy nodded to her, smiling slightly before leaving the room. Yoru was wearing a similar expression to his own, his face serious and his eyes dark and concerned. Their hands wrapped in each other as soon as they got to each other, Yoru's nose briefly brushing his brother's cheek before they moved towards the door together.

Screenings had begun the day after the twins had been told about the impending epidemic, and nearly 20 more people had been found who most likely had the strange sickness. This brought the total number of infected to 27. Two were already dead.

Sora could feel fear moving through his mind and body. No one seemed to have any idea of what was going on, but already he knew that something had to be done. Kurotsuchi-_taichou_ was already running simulations and doing what he could to find what was going on, as was Unohana. While the woman was running exams almost day and night on everyone and anyone who had been in Hueco Mundo, she was also researching on those who had tested positive for the virus.

Infection was growing faster and faster, and it was getting to the terrifying point.

An alarm started ringing, and then Yoru put out a hand, a finger extending to catch the hell butterfly that headed towards them.

The message was the voice of the 1st division _fukutaichou_.

_"All taichous and fukutaichous are to report to the 1__st__ division in 15 minutes for an emergency meeting. The soutaichou also requests the presence of Kurosaki Yoru and Sora. I repeat…"_

Yoru shook his head, sighing faintly. "I was wondering when this was going to happen. Come on, Sora, let's go."

* * *

Sora's eyes moved across the room, his hand automatically tightening on Yoru's. There was so much tension in the room, the oppressive feeling of all the _taichous_ and _fukutaichous_ and the feeling of anger and confusion was hard to handle.

The twins stood behind their parents, Matsumoto and Kit just behind them. Sora recognized it as a protective gesture, whether it be purposeful or subconscious.

Yamamoto's booming voice echoed in the room. "Unohana-_taichou_, report!"

The gentle woman stepped forward. "Yes, sir."

"There are currently 35 people isolated in the 4th division with early stages of the virus. Five more are in advanced stages, and three have died so far. More than 20 of those 35 are the ones who went to Las Noches, and the others are family or close to those who went there. This has led me to believe that this is where the infection began." Unohana's blue-gray eyes were somber and dark, worried.

Renji took a step forward. "Can you tell us some of the symptoms, so we know when to send people to you?"

he woman nodded. "Early stages usually present with fatigue and trouble with coordination. Trouble with memory seems to follow within a week, and then dizzy and fainting spells. Flu-like symptoms next, sneezing, coughing, and fever, followed by insomnia and worsening memory problems. Around a month after infection most sink into a coma, and I suspect that they will die before too long; I currently have 3 patients in this state."

Kurotsuchi stepped forward. "Judging by the pattern of infection, the virus is spread either through contact or exchange of bodily fluids. Being coughed on, or anything of that sort may transmit the disease."

"All ranking officers are to be aware of the happenings in their squads. When someone presents with symptoms, immediately take steps to prevent it from spreading." Yamamoto commanded loudly.

Yoru suddenly shifted uncomfortably. Sora didn't have a chance to stop him, he spoke loudly. "Why had you summoned my brother and I, _soutaichou_?"

"We wanted to be sure to include you because you were both in Hueco Mundo for some time, and so the danger of you being infected is higher." Yamamoto said, his sharp eyes meeting Yoru's.

Unohana smiled softly. "The entire Kurosaki family is clean, by my findings."

Yamamoto nodded. "Good. Now, Kurotsuchi and Unohana are both looking for causes as well as a cure. Everyone, be alert. You are dismissed."

The twins followed their parents out of the 1st division building, Matsumoto and Kit just behind them. There was still a stiff sort of tension in the air, and Sora shifted closer to his twin.

Ichigo sighed faintly. "Over half of those infected are from my division. The first fatality was mine as well."

"I'm sure that means that one of them picked it up first. They were some of the ones sent in to retrieve us after Renji rounded up everyone and came looking for us, right?" Toshiro mused. "Do you have records of where they were in Las Noches?"

"Yea." Ichigo nodded. "I got reports from everyone almost as soon as we got back. We'll have to get to work on going through them, see if we find anything."

Toshiro turned his eyes to his sons. "I want you two to be careful, okay? This disease is dangerous, and I don't want to lose you."

Ichigo nodded in agreement with his husband as the twins nodded affirmatively, scrubbing a hand over his face tiredly "Come on, Kit, let's get to it then."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Something was wrong.

He knew it, though he was exactly sure what it was. Sora stared at the wall, deep in thought where he sat in their home.

A hand on his shoulder made him look up, meeting his older brother's eyes. Yoru's face was serious. "You feel it too?"

Sora nodded. "Yea. Any idea what it might be?"

Yoru shook his head. "No. But I think that we should go find Dad."

Frowning, Sora stood, agreeing with his twin. Something about that statement felt right. They moved out of the house and towards the 9th division main office, both feeling uneasy as they went.

Sora felt panic shift through him. It had been a week since the meeting with the _soutaichou_, and more and more people were falling ill. Ichigo was searching through the records from Hueco Mundo as fast as he could, but the twins knew that he wasn't making much progress. There was nothing in the reports that signaled anything suspicious so far. Ichigo was driving himself into the ground, he had rarely been home this last week, and was tired and shaky when he was.

Yoru knocked softly on the door when they reached the office, calling out. "Dad?"

There was no response.

Panic flared and Sora pushed the door open, his face scared. The events of the past week suddenly clicked into place, and the teen understood what was going on.

Ichigo was crumpled on the floor by the desk, his form like a broken doll that had been dropped sharply and suddenly. He was motionless where he laid, his face turned away from the twins.

"_**DAD**_!"


	3. Chapter 3

Woo, another chapter... I'm working away steadily at this guys, I'm working on chapter 5 right now, so I just hope I can keep going pretty steady... Enjoy!

Toshiro is a little more OC than normal in this chapter, but I think that he kind of deserves this one...you'll see what I mean...

* * *

Chapter 3

Sora instantly fell to his knees beside Ichigo, his fingers gently reaching out to touch his throat. He felt the weak and thready throb beneath his father's skin, breathing a faint sigh of relief. He waved to Yoru, who shakily came to his side, lifting Ichigo's upper body into his arms while Sora lifted his legs. Ichigo was limp as a ragdoll against their hold; his head falling back and his mouth open slightly.

Yoru felt his heart throbbing in his chest, fear coursing through them. _Please, please, don't let it be the infection…_

Moving carefully as one, the twins carried their father out of the 9th division office and towards the 4th, their pace as quick as they could possibly move without jostling Ichigo too much. They were spotted by the diminutive Yamada Hanatarou as soon as they entered the courtyard, who gasped in shock and rushed off to find Unohana.

Isane appeared a moment later, leading them hurriedly to a secluded room in the back of the 4th division where they laid Ichigo carefully. The silver-haired woman performed a quick check of the orange-headed _taichou's_ vitals, a frown on her features and worry in her brown eyes.

Unohana entered the room, her blue-gray eyes serious as she began her examination. Her reiatsu glimmered around her hands, and then she shook her head sadly. "I'm so sorry, Sora-_kun_, Yoru-_kun_. It's the infection."

Sora's eyes were wide, his heart thundering with shock and fear. _No… _

The younger twin swallowed thickly and then breathed out in resignation. "I… I think we should go find Papa, Yoru. He would want to know…"

Yoru nodded, reaching out to grab a hold of Sora's hand shakily. His grip was tight and scared and Sora squeezed his hand, smiling crookedly at him. He knew that now was the time when he needed to be the rock for Yoru, who didn't know what to do with the situation as it was now. He could feel Yoru's fear and confusion, as well as his helplessness.

Yoru was strong, but when he was put in a place where he didn't know what he could do, or where he couldn't do anything at all, he was scared. He looked to Sora in this time, when the younger twin could think rationally enough to make the decisions, when Sora was calm and collected.

The younger twin tugged on his brother's hand, pulling him out of the room and through the 4th division building. Sora took the lead confidently, something that he didn't often do. Normally it was Yoru calling the shots, but now…

Sora easily located Toshiro in the 10th division office, no doubt working on paperwork as he usually was. Sure enough, the small _taichou_ was bent over his desk, his teal eyes focused on the papers in front of him. Sora knocked softly on the door frame before he entered, his eyes dark with worry.

Toshiro instantly picked up on the tense air about both his sons, and with worried eyes he looked to Yoru. The eldest twin avoided his gaze, shifting unconsciously closer to Sora. As that happened Toshiro looked back to Sora, tilting his head slightly. "Sora? What's going on?"

With a sigh Sora looked down. "Well… Yoru and I went to see Dad, but… we found him unconscious. He's been infected."

The small _taichou_ stared for a moment, and then his face tightened, his hands curling into fists and his body shaking. Sora automatically moved forward, Yoru following him as the younger put his hand on his Papa's shoulder. Toshiro breathed deep, easing his body's shakes and growing serious once more.

"Alright… we need to continue going through your father's reports. I want you two to go to his office and get all of those for me. We'll start as soon as you get back." Toshiro said, running a hand through his white hair before starting to head back towards his desk, his shoulders slumped almost imperceptivity.

Sora frowned, stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Papa…"

Toshiro's flinch surprised the younger twin, and Sora felt his heart clench when he looked into watery teal eyes. Toshiro shook his head stubbornly. "N-No, we need to get to the bottom of this."

Sadness flowed through Sora and he shifted to put his arm around Toshiro's shoulders, his eyes sad as he watched his always strong and powerful parent slowly crack and break down.

Toshiro shook his head. "We need to f-figure out what's happening, f-find the c-cure…" His voice got progressively shaky as he went, and it finally broke on the last word, the tears rolling down his cheeks. Sora instantly wrapped his arms around the small _taichou_, holding him tightly as Toshiro broke down in the front of his _shihakshou_.

Yoru moved forward, going to the other side to enclose their Papa between the two of them, a warm barrier against the trouble that was attacking their small family. They all sank down to the floor together, Sora barely managing to hold the tears in.

"It's not fair…" Toshiro forced out. "After all we've been through… Ichigo… He's my e-everything…"

Sora held him tighter, Yoru echoing his squeeze a moment later. "Don't worry, Papa. We'll find the cure… Dad will be fine. You know how strong he is."

Yoru nodded. "Dad's just as stubborn as we are, he'll be just fine."

After a few moments Toshiro collected himself, scrubbing his arm across his face and shaking himself sharply. "I'm sorry, boys. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Sora shook his head. "It's fine, Papa. Don't even worry about it. But… I think that you should go visit Dad. He might be awake by now."

Toshiro frowned slightly, but then nodded with a sigh. "Alright. I still want you boys to go get that paperwork, and bring it here. I'll be back before long."

"Don't worry, we'll start going through it before you get back. Stay as long as you want." Sora's voice was gentle, a small smile on his face.

Toshiro smiled at his sons, love in his eyes. "I'm so glad to have you boys. I'm sorry that you had to act as the parent for once. I'm usually so in control."

Yoru rolled his eyes. "Come on, Papa, give yourself a break. Now go on, go visit Dad."

"Thanks." Toshiro murmured before turning a heading out of the room, stepping into _shunpo_ as he did and flashing to the 4th division.

Sora sighed as he went, running a hand through his bangs before setting his shoulders. "Well, come on Yoru. Let's go get those reports."

* * *

Toshiro sat beside Ichigo for a while, a mask over his mouth and nose and tears shimmering in his eyes. He had one hand wrapped around Ichigo's, the other gently stroking over the damp orange strands, his fingers skimming the warm forehead. Ichigo had been unconscious for nearly 2 hours now, but Toshiro was willing to sit with him until he awoke.

A soft groan made the small _taichou_ blink, and he squeezed Ichigo's hand hopefully. Chocolate eyes fluttered open, and Toshiro smiled behind the mask. "Hey." he murmured softly as Ichigo's eyes met his own.

Ichigo's smile was shaky. "Hey…" He frowned suddenly, his chocolate eyes a little dazed. "What happened? I can't…"

Toshiro shook his head slightly. "Don't push yourself, Unohana said to take it easy. The twins found you unconscious in your office."

Understanding and horror dawned on Ichigo's face. "The infection?"

A shaky nod was his answer as Toshiro bit his lower lip, looking away from Ichigo in an attempt to hide the tears still lingering in his eyes. Ichigo noticed the watery quality of his husband's eyes nonetheless, his hand tightening where it was wrapped in Toshiro's. "Don't worry, _yuki hime._ Things will work out."

Toshiro nodded faintly. "The twins are going through your reports right now, trying to find what you didn't get to."

Ichigo frowned, confusion coming onto his face. "The reports…? Why would you…" His face grew sad. "Oh, right…"

Memory problems… Toshiro was confronted with the stark reality of the fact that his husband had the sickness, and more sadness flowed through him.

Gentle fingers suddenly stroked his arm, Ichigo too afraid to touch his husband's face for fear of transmitting the disease in some way. "_Yuki hime…_ I've never seen you cry this much before. What's wrong? This can't be the only thing weighing on your mind."

Toshiro nodded, his hand shaking where it held Ichigo's. "I never got to tell you… I wanted to wait until I was completely sure… and then the outbreak, and things just got out of hand…"

Ichigo tilted his head, but said nothing, not wanting to interrupt what seemed like a hard thing for Toshiro to say.

Their eyes met, and Ichigo's widened as he heard the words from Toshiro's lips.

"I'm pregnant again."


	4. Chapter 4

Alright, another chapter... Still rolling right along, and I'm posting this just because you guys are being so awesome and patient for me. I'm still going, I'm working on writing chapter 6 right now, so hopefully I can keep moving...

* * *

Chapter 4

Ichigo's eyes widened. "What… _yuki hime_, that's wonderful!"

"Yes, but…" Toshiro's eyes flickered down. "Now? What if I get sick, Ichigo? What will happen? What if I lose the baby?"

"Toshiro." Ichigo's voice was strong and firm with no room for argument. "Don't worry so much. Whatever happens will happen. All you can do it try to stay safe and healthy." The orange-head squeezed his hand. "Things will work out."

The small _taichou_ sighed faintly. "I know… I'm just so worried. Things were bad enough, and now you're infected…"

Ichigo grinned. "I won't surrender so easily." He suddenly coughed hard, covering his mouth instantly and turning his head away from his husband.

The coughing fit left Ichigo shaky, sweaty, and pale. His eyelids fluttered slightly, and he smiled softly at Toshiro. "Go on, go help the boys. I'll be okay."

Toshiro nodded, his hand gently rubbing through Ichigo's orange hair. He longed to kiss his husband, but he knew that it was hardly safe for him to be in here, let alone to kiss Ichigo. The gloves and mask protected him enough that he could be here for the time being. "I love you." he whispered, his voice soft and slightly hurt.

Ichigo smiled. "I love you too, _yuki hime_. Please get some rest, for the baby. Okay?"

Toshiro nodded, and then moved to the door, reluctantly releasing Ichigo's hand. Unohana helped the small _taichou_ clean up and sterilize everything, watching him with a sad look. She felt sad that she could do nothing for him, and so she simply smiled kindly at him. "I will do everything in my power to care for him, Toshiro-_kun_."

The white-haired man chuckled faintly. "As you do with every patient, Unohana-_san._ I know that he will be well cared for."

The woman put a hand on his shoulder. "Even so, I know how much he means to you, and I've always been fond of you. I promise that I'll do everything I can, and I'll let you know immediately if anything changes."

Toshiro bowed slightly. "Thank you for letting me see him." he said softly. "I know that it was a big risk."

"Go home to your boys, Toshiro-_kun_. And don't forget to get some proper rest and meals; you're caring for more than just yourself now."

Toshiro bowed to her again, and then turned and headed back to the 10th division office.

* * *

Sora yawned widely, rubbing a hand through his hair before going back to the report in front of him.

Yoru was steadily nodding off beside him, his teal eyes dark with fatigue. They had been going through these reports for almost 24 straight hours, worry driving them.

Toshiro had been helping for a while, but more often than not problems with the division were pulling him away. With more people getting sick, Toshiro had to be present to decide what to do. Kit was running the 9th in Ichigo's place, but things were getting more and more difficult.

Another report, another dead end. Sora sighed heavily, glancing to his brother. Yoru's head had dropped forward, his eyes closed and soft snores echoing from his lips. The younger smiled softly, allowing Yoru's head to drop to his shoulder.

Yoru mumbled faintly, scooting closer to his twin and leaning heavily on him. Sora briefly pressed his cheek to Yoru's spiky orange hair, and then went back to the reports.

Toshiro came in about an hour later to find the two of them leaning against the wall, Yoru's head on Sora's shoulder and Sora's cheek against Yoru's hair, both sound asleep.

The small _taichou_ smiled softly, draping a blanket over their legs and taking the reports from them, continuing where they had left off.

* * *

Yoru awoke comfortable and warm, the warmth coming from the body of his twin. The elder snuggled closer, sighing faintly and pressing his cheek to Sora's throat.

He felt tired still, but he knew that he should get up and start going through the reports again. He stretched slightly before sitting up and rubbing a hand over his eyes.

To his surprise Toshiro was sitting in his chair, leaning back with a hand on his stomach, sound asleep. He frowned slightly, starting to get up.

His movement woke Sora, who groaned softly and opened his eyes. He yawned and stretched, and then looked to his twin. "Yoru?"

Yoru pointed to Toshiro, and Sora smiled faintly. "No different from us…"

The younger twin rose to his feet, going to the desk and shaking Toshiro's shoulder gently. "Papa?"

Toshiro opened his eyes, yawning before focusing on his son. "Oh, you're awake."

Sora chuckled lightly. "I could say that of you. If you're going to sleep, you should go home for a while rather than sleep here." Concern crept onto his face. "It's not good for you."

Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Papa, you know you need to take care of yourself, this isn't good for the baby."

Shock coursed across Toshiro's face. "You… Sora, you knew?"

The orange-head smiled. "I can sense the budding reiatsu within you. I didn't want to say anything; I figured you would tell us when you were ready."

Toshiro sighed. "I suppose I should have expected it; you are very good with reiatsu. How long have you known?"

"About a week." Sora replied, absently taking a stack of reports. "It was a little difficult to figure out what it was, took me about 2 weeks. How far are you?"

"Unohana says about 5 weeks." Toshiro replied, his eyes briefly meeting Sora's before leaving.

Sora blinked. "5 weeks… but that…"

A grin spread across Yoru's face. "You guys had sex right under Aizen's nose!"

Toshiro blushed faintly, but didn't say anything.

The twins shuddered faintly, speaking together. "Gross!"

"Don't be so juvenile, you two." Toshiro admonished, though the blush didn't leave.

Sora shook his head. "Go home for a little while, Papa. You need some proper food and rest. We'll keep going."

"Alright." Toshiro murmured softly, a little reluctant. "I'll come back before long. Please try to get some rest as well, both of you. You both look tired."

As the small _taichou_ left the room Sora settled back down on the floor, Yoru sinking down beside him. "Wow…" Yoru murmured after a moment. "We're really going to be big brothers."

Sora smiled. "Sounds pretty cool to me. I wonder if it will be another set of twins or not?"

Yoru snorted. "Twins do run in families; it's in Dad's bloodline."

The younger laughed softly, and then turned his attention back to the reports in front of him. The search for clues began again.

* * *

"Hey, Sora!"

The younger twin raised his head, meeting his twin's eyes. "Find something?"

Yoru nodded. "Take a look." He held out the papers, his face shining faintly with hope.

Sora scanned the sheet, his eyes narrowing slightly. "In charge of the 8th Espada… 5 killed, 7 injured… thought I saw something smoking a strange color as we left the room?" The twins' eyes met, surprise in their gaze.

"This might be it!" Yoru said with excitement in his voice.

"It has to be. Look who wrote the report." Sora replied, pointing. "Riku."

Yoru's eyes widened. "He was the first to die."

"Which means that he was the first to be infected. Remembering what the 8th Espada was known for, that smoke had to have been some kind of poison or virus." Sora nodded to himself. "This is the most likely explanation."

Yoru suddenly groaned. "Oh man… this means…"

Sora nodded grimly. "Yup. Back to Hueco Mundo."


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

I know, I'm not dead. I was going to write more over Spring Break, but a cousin ended up getting married, and I had to go to that, and then I came down with a freaking awful cold. I could hardly think well enough to get through my classes at the college, so now that I'm over it now, and finally thinking clearly, I've managed to write again. Chapter 6 is completed, and so I've decided to post Chapter 5. I just need to get myself back on track for Outbreak, figure out where I want it to go again (cause my cold like... reset my brain or something. Ergh...) and then I'll get rolling once more. I thank all of you for staying with me, and I'm so sorry it took me so long! I'll try not to leave it for so long again!

* * *

Chapter 5

"Kurosaki Yoru, Kurosaki Sora." Yamamoto's voice boomed out across the _taichous_ of the Gotei 13. "What have you discovered?"

Sora stepped forward first, though Yoru was a heartbeat behind him. "While going through the reports from the squads that went to Las Noches, we discovered the report from Shiro Riku. He was the first to get sick, and the first to die."

Renji folded his arms, frowning. "So he was the one to catch it? Did he mention that in his report?"

"He said he thought he saw a strange colored gas before they left the room. At that time he didn't seem concerned, and he wasn't even totally sure that he saw it, at least, according to the report, but I believe that the gas has something to do with the virus." Sora said firmly, his voice strong in the silence of the room.

Yamamoto was quiet for a moment, and then spoke. "So once again Hueco Mundo and Aizen Sousuke are behind our troubles in some way. We shall have to send a team to find out if this is truly the virus so a cure can be found." He looked towards Kurotsuchi. "You will need to choose a scientist to go, Kurotsuchi."

"I would go myself…" Kurotsuchi murmured, his long fingers tapping together. "I will send Nemu, put her to some good use."

"Very well. A team to go with Kurotsuchi-_fukutaichou_ needs to be found." Yamamoto turned his attention to the other _taichous_. "Three, at least, I should think, to provide protection and assistance."

"We will go."

Toshiro's eyes flashed to his sons, widening slightly. They were standing, strong and firm, their eyes focused on Yamamoto. The _soutaichou_ nodded. "Very well. Another volunteer?"

Kit stepped forward. "I wish to go, _soutaichou_."

The man frowned. "Sora-_fukutaichou_, I don't believe that would be wise. Your division needs you in the absence of Kurosaki-_taichou_."

Matsumoto spoke up. "I will take charge of the 9th. Kit is a good choice to go, she's powerful, smart, and skilled with both kidou and zanjutsu as well as hand to hand combat."

Yamamoto 'hmmed' softly. "You are correct. Very well, I will allow it for now. Sora Kitsune, you may go."

Toshiro breathed a faint sigh of relief at this news—Kit's presence would ease his nerves slightly. He knew that the fierce woman would keep an eye out for the twins, although they were capable of caring for themselves. He didn't want them to go, but he somehow knew that they had to.

"Unohana-_taichou_, an update on those infected?" Yamamoto asked.

"Three more have died after a week in a coma. Two more have entered this state and remain there for now. I have gotten 15 more infected since our last meeting, Kurosaki-_taichou_ among them. Kurosaki-_taichou_ is progressing slower than others; he has been ill for nearly 3 weeks now, but he is still in the earlier stages of the disease." Unohana frowned. "I'm unsure as to why, but I suspect it might be his Hollow slowing the sickness."

Yamamoto nodded. "Keep us informed. Kurotsuchi-_fukutaichou_, you and your team should be ready to leave as soon as possible. Urahara Kisuke will be contacted immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Toshiro couldn't help but restrain tears as he watched his boys walk towards the _senkaimon_, on their way to Urahara's to go back to Hueco Mundo. He wasn't sure how things would go there, and he was scared.

Scared for his sons, scared for his husband, scared for himself and the child he carried within him. He didn't know for sure how things were going to turn out, and being in the dark had never helped his nerves. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before turning to Unohana, who had come to say good luck to the team leaving.

"Unohana_-taichou_…"

The gentle woman smiled down at him as he came close, her blue-gray eyes soft as she looked fondly at the younger _taichou_. "What can I do for you, Toshiro-_kun_?"

Toshiro uncomfortably fidgeted with the edge of his haori, and then sighed. "Would it be alright if I came to see Ichigo for a while? I just…"

A hand on his shoulder made him stop. "It's okay, Toshiro-_kun_, you don't have to explain it to me. I must warn you though, quite a few things have changed in the 3 days since you last saw him. And not for long, okay?"

The younger nodded. "I understand. I just… need to see him for a bit."

_To reassure myself to the fact that he's still here..._

Toshiro followed the gentle woman towards the 4th division, feeling a little on edge as he walked. Unohana gave him the standard mask and gloves and helped him wash thoroughly, and then showed him to the door. "He's changed a little." the woman murmured. "Don't be too alarmed; try to keep yourself calm and your reiatsu low. He needs whatever rest he can get."

With a nod the young _taichou_ opened the door, his teal eyes landing on the still form on the bed. His eyes widened in surprise, and he just barely stopped his hands from flying to his mouth.

Ichigo's eyes were open, but dull and bloodshot. His eyes were sunken back into their sockets, eyelids bruised and discolored. His face was tight with fatigue, and the rasp of his breathing was both disturbing and frightening. Sweat dampened his skin enough to make him shine faintly in the light, the paleness of his skin making him appear washed out.

"Oh Ichigo…" Toshiro whispered, moving forward quickly and slipping a gloved hand into the thin appendage lying against the blanket. The touch barely jarred Ichigo from whatever state he was in, his breathing speeding up as though he were scared.

"The pain has kept him from sleep for a number of days."

Unohana's quiet voice came from behind him, causing him to look around. She too was wearing a mask and gloves, her eyes sadly looking at her patient. "He told me that the aches of his body are too great to allow him to sleep, and so he has remained awake. He gets rest every now and then, but never for long. It shouldn't be long now until he finally passes out from fatigue."

"Gods…."

"I'm unsure of what else I can do for him at this point. I've given him as many painkillers as I possibly can, any more might hurt him. As for the disease, it's not progressing any further. So far he is better than those who have had the sickness for nearly twice as long, and so I suspect that he will last much longer." Unohana's voice was gentle. "I believe that there will be no problem in Sora-_kun_ and Yoru-_kun _returning before then."

Toshiro nodded. "I hope so…"

"We just have to have faith in them. They're strong, and they won't give up." Unohana replied, the smile in her tone. "They're both just as stubborn as their parents."

* * *

The cold sands of Hueco Mundo hadn't changed much since they had been gone.

Sora felt the grip on his hand tighten slightly, and Yoru's body pressed against his side, warm and reassuring. Nemu was standing just in front of them, and they could feel the solid reiatsu of Kit just finishing moving through the garganta. Urahara had welcomed them to his shop with a smile, though he hadn't said much, only sent them on their way as quickly as possible.

Nemu shifted the bag that she carried, turning to look at them. "Come, we must go quickly."

The twins nodded, and together the four set out across the sands, heading for the close towering whiteness of Las Noches, now abandoned.

Sora ran close beside Yoru, their reiatsu twisting and combining between them as they moved. Koorimasu and Kogasu were both growling softly, and both tigers were extremely on edge. Being back in Hueco Mundo had all of them on high alert and tense, and the friction between the twins' energy was high.

_What do you think we will find?_

Yoru frowned slightly, narrowing his eyes. _I'm not sure, Sora. Stay with me?_

A smile came to Sora's face. _Always, nii-san._


	6. Chapter 6

Hoorah chapter 6! I hope you guys like it still!

* * *

Chapter 6

Hueco Mundo was just as cold as Yoru remembered. He wasn't a big fan of cold; his power of fire made him adverse to it anyway, but he had never really liked the harsh chill against his body. It was nothing like the pleasant and familiar cold of Sora's reiatsu, as well as the powerful icy breath of his Papa's reiatsu.

Nemu was currently just ahead of them, performing some sort of test near the outside walls of Las Noches. Even though they had a strong hunch that whatever had caused the disease was inside the rooms of Szayel Aporro Granz, the 12th division _fukutaichou_ wanted to test whatever she could.

Kitsune was sitting nearby, absently wiping at the short blade of her zanpaktou. She was relaxed, her reiatsu swirling pleasantly among the twins. Sora was sitting beside his twin, his leg pressed to Yoru's and his reiatsu winding around him. The two were connected as always, their reiatsu swirling together, their zanpaktou purring happily.

"What do you think we're going to find, Yoru?" Sora asked curiously, tilting his head to rest his cheek against his twin's shoulder.

Yoru shrugged the opposite shoulder, not wanting to dislodge his brother. "I'm not sure. Considering what was in Riku's report, it's obvious that's where we're going to find what we need; I don't know why that _fukutaichou_ is doing this…"

Sora nodded in agreement. "I just hope that we can find the cure here as well, or at least something left from the thing that infected Riku. Without that…"

A hand on his hair stopped him from speaking. "Don't think about that. We'll find the cure, no doubt about it."

The younger nodded. "Yea. You're right."

Nemu rose to her feet at this moment, sealing up the pack that she had brought with her and swinging it over her shoulder. "I'm finished. Let's continue on."

Kit rose to her feet and stretched, sheathing Oni and nodding. "I'm all for it. I don't like the feeling coming off that place, so the sooner we get out of here the better."

"Do we know where to go to get to Szayel's rooms?" Sora asked as the group started forward again.

Nemu nodded, her face still expressionless. "I was given instructions by Mayuri-_sama_. I believe that I can take us straight to the room. Come, let's get moving."

As they walked Sora reached out to take Yoru's hand, an automatic gesture that they almost had no control over. Just like Kitsune, the young orange-head didn't like the feeling that was coming from Las Noches. He had a feeling that it was something that was reminiscent from the time that he had spent here before, underneath the oppressive reiatsu of Aizen and the Espada, but he knew somewhere inside that something was waiting for them within those walls.

* * *

Toshiro sighed, leaning back in his chair and scrubbing a hand over his face. It had been nearly a month since the twins had left with Kitsune and Nemu, but the _taichou_ knew that time passed differently in the two dimensions, so they may or may not have already found the cure.

This partly made him nervous, because if had been more time than what the Soul Society experienced, then there was a possibility that they were having trouble. Whether that trouble was enemies or simply not being able to find the cure, he didn't know.

Matsumoto had been in and out for the last few hours, asking for advice or sometimes just checking on him. She was worried about her friend and _taichou_, and so she checked in on him often. She knew that his nerves were getting stretched thin, and she had taken it upon herself to make sure he was taking care of himself.

At that thought Toshiro smiled slightly, raising a hand to lay it on the just barely hardening skin of his stomach. This pregnancy was so far much easier than that of the twins; there was no sign of morning sickness, and he wasn't nearly as tired. He was glad for that, though was curious as to the reason for it.

He sighed slightly, glancing out the window towards the sinking sun. The white-haired man pushed himself to his feet, putting down his ink brush and heading towards the door. He wanted to go see Ichigo, but he would have to speak with Unohana first.

Toshiro found the gentle woman just outside the 4th division, walking quietly around the grounds. He greeted her with a warm smile, which she returned. "Toshiro-_kun_, it's nice to see you. How are you feeling?"

He smiled again. "Much better than the last time. I think that the twins were out to make my life difficult, but this child doesn't seem to be as vengeful."

Unohana laughed softly at that. "Every pregnancy is different; perhaps this one will yield a less troublesome child." Her words were tinged with fond amusement, her blue-gray eyes thoughtful as she no doubt recalled days of dealing with the mischievous and often reckless and troublesome twins. Her face sobered after these words. "I suspect you are here to inquire about Ichigo-_kun_.

Toshiro nodded. "If it's not too much trouble…"

The woman shook her head. "Not at all. The sickness seems to have slowed down a little in infecting more people. We seem to be getting a bit of a breather. You may come see him if you wish."

A smile brightened the smaller's face. "That would be wonderful, Unohana-_san_."

A gentle and affectionate smile came to the woman's face as she led the younger through the halls of the 4th division. "Really Toshiro-_kun_, how many times must I ask you to call me Retsu? I do believe that we've known each other long enough."

Toshiro sighed slightly, but didn't answer, knowing that Unohana knew the answer already to that question. He had to admit, the gentle woman was much like a mother to him, but he wasn't sure that he was ready to call her by her name just yet.

The familiar process of scrubbing down and putting on the face mask and gloves went by fast, and Toshiro stood before the door to Ichigo's room, taking a deep breath to calm himself before sliding it open.

"Not long, Toshiro-_kun_." Unohana said softly. "He needs his rest."

The white-haired _taichou_ nodded, and then slid the door shut behind him before turning to face his husband.

Ichigo smiled at him as he came closer, his face looking tired and pinched. He had lost a lot of weight; his cheekbones were sharp in his face, cheeks a little sunken. Toshiro paid these changes no mind, a warm, if sad, smile on his face beneath his mask.

"Hi, _yuki hime_! It's been a while since you've been to see me." Ichigo's voice was as tired as his face, but Toshiro could tell that he was trying to sound happy and energized for him. He didn't bother to correct his husband; he had been to see Ichigo the day before. It was a normal thing for him to not remember day to day things now; the memory problems were steadily getting worse.

"Hello Ichigo. How are you feeling today?" Toshiro asked softly, his eyes soaking up the image of his husband's face while he had the chance. He didn't normally come to visit often, but these days had been taxing.

Ichigo shrugged a shoulder. "A little better I guess. Ogichi says that he's still holding everything off okay, so some days it's better than others."

Toshiro nodded. Unohana had been right in her assumption that it was Ogichi that was slowing the progress of the disease; in fact, the Hollow had slowed it to nearly a fourth of the normal rate. Ichigo had already had the sickness for nearly a month and a half, 2 weeks longer than any other victim. He was still in the mid stages of the disease, progressing about the same as those who had had the sickness for only two or three weeks.

"I'm glad that you're feeling better." Toshiro said with a smile. "We still haven't heard from the twins' search party in Hueco Mundo." The _taichou_ waited patiently for a moment while Ichigo struggled to remember what his sons were doing in Hueco Mundo, and then continued once understanding had entered his chocolate eyes. "Time flows differently there now that Aizen's gone, so we think that this is the case. Yamamoto has decided to give them around 3 more weeks, and then send someone after them."

Ichigo nodded. "That seems like a good idea to me. Besides, knowing our boys, they're doing just fine."

Toshiro smiled at that, echoing his husband's nod. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Ichigo's eyelids fluttered suddenly, and then closed, his body going limp against the mattress. Toshiro sighed sadly, his face falling slightly. This, too, was a regular occurrence. Insomnia was currently one of the symptoms that Ichigo had, and so it wasn't strange for him to fall asleep at random times, his body finally pulling him into sleep by force.

The small _taichou_ brushed a loving hand over Ichigo's orange hair as he stood. "I love you, Ichigo. I'll be back before long, I promise."

With that he turned and left the room, heading back for his office for another long evening of worrying and trying to get through the numerous piles of paperwork that had been flowing in because of the deaths.

_Please come back soon, Yoru, Sora. I don't know how much longer your father and I can take this waiting…_

* * *

I totally made up the whole time difference thing; although I thought it would make sense that time moved a little differently in each realm. Currently the way I have it set, a month in Soul Society is roughly a day in Hueco Mundo.


	7. Chapter 7

Hoohah! New chapter! I hope you guys like it!

* * *

Chapter 7

Sora's eyes flashed open, his body going ramrod straight where he was curled against his twin by the wall. Silver mist filled his teal eyes as Koorimasu sprang to his aid, allowing him to see the strange reiatsu he felt, his eyes widening as he did so.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump, and he turned silvery eyes to meet teal ones. Yoru's face was hard and concerned, his grip on his brother's shoulder tight. "What is it, Sora?"

The younger shook his head. "I'm not exactly sure. I can sense a reiatsu that I don't recognize, but when I look at it, there seems to be nothing there. I'm not entirely sure what's going on." He frowned. "Can you feel it?"

Yoru closed his eyes, reaching across the link with Sora to feel what he did. "Yea… I don't know that either. Where is it?"

"In Szayel Aporro Granz's rooms."

Kitsune was beside them in a flash; she had been listening since Sora had first awakened. Nemu wasn't far behind her, and together the group rose to their feet. Nemu moved ahead, leading them through the halls and closer to Szayel's rooms. Kitsune had one hand wrapped around the hilt of Oni, her face tense.

Sora walked close to his twin, still trying to figure out what it was that he could sense. Koorimasu growled uncomfortably, not liking the idea that she could not find what she and her master were sensing. Yoru gently touched his twin's hand, sending reassurance to him.

_What could this possibly be…_ Sora thought, frowning. _It feels almost like one of the Espada, but it's far too weak, and they've been dead since the war; I'm sure that they were all destroyed. Perhaps it's something left over from Szayel, something that might be the cause of the epidemic. _

They entered the rooms a moment later, all of them tense and ready for anything that might pop up. There didn't appear to be anything nearby, and Sora cast out his senses once more, trying to pinpoint the location of the reiatsu. To his severe discomfort, he couldn't tell where exactly it was; it seemed to be coming from all around them at once.

"I don't like this…" Yoru murmured, sliding closer to his twin and grasping the hilt of his zanpaktou. He distantly noticed Kitsune take a step towards them as well, Nemu following as the four of them formed a circle with their backs to each other.

There was the hiss of a blade leaving its sheath as Sora drew Koorimasu, hoping to use her abilities to try once more and locate the reiatsu. Mist began to settle near the floor, and apprehensively Kitsune drew her blade as well, readying herself.

Sora suddenly let out a shout, hitting the floor heavily and dropping his zanpaktou with a clatter. Yoru cried out his name, reaching for him and barely missing his hand as he was dragged off into the misty room.

"NO!" Yoru screamed, instantly releasing Kogasu to get rid of the mist in the room. As it cleared he spotted the one thing that he never expected to find among the ruins of Las Noches.

Szayel Aporro Granz.

The orange-head's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open a little. Kit swore, releasing Oni and taking a reflexive step towards Yoru. Nemu crouched down slightly, though she showed no indication that she was going to go for her zanpaktou.

The Espada smirked slightly, gesturing with one hand to the swollen tendril on his wing. He was already in his released form, and now that they knew he was there, the feeling of his reiatsu swelled from the weak one that it had been to a full blown torrent. Yoru growled angrily, clenching his hand tighter around the staff of Kogasu.

"Well, well." Szayel purred. "I was wondering when I was going to see someone here when I noticed that my virus had gotten out. I figured it wouldn't be long, and I would get someone else to play with."

Yoru growled again, shifting Kogasu and preparing to strike. "Give me back my brother!"

The Espada chuckled, and then threw Sora at Yoru, causing the orange-head to let out a shout and quickly lower Kogasu, barely avoiding slashing his twin. Sora coughed heavily, his body covered in a slimy substance. Szayel calmly reached out, catching the small figurine that fell into his hand.

"I didn't expect them to send such weak opponents, but…" he smirked again. "I suppose none of you knew that I was alive, now did you?"

Sora coughed again, glaring at the Arrancar. "Bastard! How did you survive! They reported you dead!"

Again the Hollow chuckled. "They believed me dead. They didn't realize that I have several methods of retaining myself in situations such as that. It was a mere effort to consume a few of my Fraccion and regenerate myself. Then it was merely a waiting game, to see when they would send someone out to discover what was in that vial that I broke before they left."

Yoru's eyes narrowed in anger. "You broke that vial? You started all of this pain and suffering!.?"

Szayel closed his eyes, idly playing with the doll in his hands. "I figured it would be the easiest way to let Soul Society know of my presence. Obviously I was wrong, and you are all more idiotic than I suspected. Now then, I tire of this meaningless drivel."

With that he flicked the doll in his hands in the forehead.

A soft choke left Sora's mouth, and blood trickled down his forehead as his head snapped back. Yoru let out a cry of shock as his twin crumpled to the floor, stunned as he lay there.

Kit swore, releasing Oni and leaping into action. She could remember what this power did, and she knew that they had to stop the Espada before he did irreversible damage to Sora. Yoru followed her a moment later, anger flooding his body and flames flickering around the white-hot blade of his scythe.

Szayel easily dodged their attacks, looking bored as he did so. Kit swore loudly, firing several bullets in his direction, only to miss every time. Yoru yelled a battle cry as he slashed, managing to leaving a bloody scratch across Szayel's arm.

The Espada looked surprised, glancing down at his arm. "You are better than I thought you would be. I haven't gathered any information on you, so this is a little difficult to assess as I usually do. You look very similar to Kurosaki Ichigo, boy."

Yoru glared, spinning Kogasu in his hands. "He's my father."

"Ah." Szayel looked almost relieved. "Well then, we may have more fun than I originally thought." His hands closed around the doll, and Yoru gasped as he wrenched it open, revealing the small colored objects inside.

Kit let out a cry. "No! Yoru, don't let him touch those!"

Yoru didn't bother to ask why; he slashed out with Kogasu, a shout releasing a wave of flames. Szayel frowned, though he didn't move. At first Yoru thought that he had landed a hit, but when the flames cleared Szayel barely seemed singed. "Once again, child, I think I've underestimated you. You have power, that's clear."

The teen had to jump backwards as one of the Espada's wings came close, knowing that if he was caught that he would end up in a similar state as his twin. He lashed out again as Szayel reached for the organs of the doll, terror filling him at the thought of what was going to happen once the Espada got to them.

Szayel idly examined a small structure, and then squeezed, breaking it into bits. Sora let out a scream, and leaned over to vomit blood across the debris cluttered floor. Yoru shouted his name, turning to run for him, but a soft chuckle from Szayel made him turn once more.

"My, my, you're reacting that much and I've only crushed his stomach. I wonder what you will do if I go for more important things…" he reached into the doll again, and Yoru felt something snap within him.

"NO!"

Szayel was forced to dodge as the orange-head was suddenly in front of him, pink hair fluttering to the ground as Kogasu roared past his head. The Espada's eyes were a little wide, and he stumbled backwards into Kit's attack. He lashed out in a way that was unlike him, and Kit hit the wall with a crack, slumping to the floor.

The Espada frowned, reaching into the Sora doll once more. "I believe it's time to end this and move onto you, boy. You're taking all of the fun out of this."

Yoru's eyes flickered to the object that the Espada pulled out and he felt his heart stop.

_Chink._

A chip fluttered down off the object, and Yoru turned just in time to see Sora's eyes go white, blood exploding from his lips as his body fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"Yo-ru…"

_Thud._

_**"SORA!"**_

The piece that Szayel held in his hands was the heart.

_**"NOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

* * *

Alright, to explain things a tad... Szayel has many ways to regenerate himself, as he stated in the chapter. In my universe here, he was 'killed' by a group of _shinigami_ from Ichigo's squad and not Kurotsuchi Mayuri. In this respect, he was able to use one of these methods to come back because they didn't know of all of his abilities. He allowed them to believe that he was dead in order to concoct this sort of revenge with the virus. As for why Sora doesn't seem to fight back, the first blow from Szayel on the forehead basically knocks him unconsious; he's got a pretty serious concussion_. _Until the next chapter....


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_**"SZAYEL!"**_

The Espada's eyes widened as an orange blur shot towards him, and then pain exploded as his left set of wings fell to the ground. He let out a shout, stumbling backwards and dropping the heart as well as the rest of the doll. He looked up, meeting the terrifying face of the boy who had a moment ago been standing across the room.

Yoru's face was furious, his eyes holes of fire in his face. His hair was waving violently with the force of his power and anger, and Kogasu was burning like hot coal in his hands, shifting and transforming. "_**Bankai**_." Yoru hissed, fire exploding around him.

Szayel's scream echoed as the pillar of fire consumed them both, blasting a hole in the ceiling and raining debris down in the room. Kit flashed away from the broken wall where she had landed earlier, throwing herself over the prone form of Sora and shooting at the falling rock. Blood obscured her vision, but she stubbornly wiped it away, her green eyes focusing on the flaming column before her.

_My god… Yoru…_

Whips of flame whirled around the room, and then the column vanished to reveal a burned and angry Szayel and a glimmering Yoru. The teen's eyes were still empty holes of fire, his hair whipping around his face as he spun the spiked mace in one hand.

Szayel screamed in rage, whipping out a wing in an attempt to catch the boy in his grasp, but Yoru simply disappeared, showing up an instant later to throw the mace out to hit Szayel in the back of the leg. Kit winced as she heard the crack of his leg breaking, sending the Espada to the ground.

The pink-haired man let out a cry of rage and agony, throwing up a hand to try and form a cero.

The hand was removed an instant later.

**"You think you can defeat me." **

Kit's eyes widened at the sound of Yoru's voice. It was as though his voice had become the flame that he commanded, burning with power and anger.

**"I will make you suffer for every ounce of pain my brother felt." **Yoru hissed, leaning down at setting the tip of Kogasu against Szayel's left arm. **"I will make you feel the terror and pain of every person in Soul Society that had to deal with your virus."**

Szayel tried once more to capture Yoru, and with a simple wave of Kogasu, the huge scythe sliced both wings from his body. The Espada cried out in shock; he had nothing left to take the advantage with. Yoru currently had him pinned on the floor, and while some of his lab was intact, the month that he had been alive in Hueco Mundo had not been enough to rebuild his systems that had originally lent him the advantage over his opponents.

He had no chance against the boy that had defeated Aizen.

Yoru grinned. **"And more importantly, I will make you pay for the suffering that you have caused my family to once again feel."**

The tip of Kogasu was driven through Szayel's left shoulder, the wide, hot blade easily slicing the limb from the Espada's body. Szayel cried out, the skin burning and slicing all at the same time. Yoru calmly lifted the scythe, shifting it to the other shoulder and beginning to press down.

Again Szayel raised a hand to attempt a Cero, and again the hand was removed a moment later.

Kit turned away, closing her eyes and attempting to push out the sound of the Espada's screams. _What's going on?.! What's happening to Yoru?.!_ She opened her eyes again, setting herself to run forward. _I have to stop this!_

"Yoru!"

Burning eyes turned to her, and Yoru tilted his head slightly.

Kit moved forward carefully, not entirely sure what was going to happen. "This isn't you, Yoru. Stop this. Kill him and move on."

**"He deserves to suffer."**

The woman swore. "Damnit Yoru, think of your brother! Sora needs help; you can't spend his time fooling around like this!"

The fire fled from Yoru's eyes, leaving the teen standing in shock. He swallowed thickly, and then quickly silenced Szayel with one slice. The body disintegrated into particles below him, and Yoru stared at the spot in horror.

"What… what happened…? What was I… doing?"

Kit's hand on his shoulder made him flinch, and he looked up into the woman's forest green eyes. "Yoru? Are you okay now?"

The boy was shaking. "I… I don't know what happened, I was just so angry, I… I couldn't stop myself. I just wanted him to suffer as much as I did, as much as we all did."

The woman shook her head. "Now isn't the time. Come on, we need to get Sora home, he needs medical attention."

Yoru's eyes widened and he flashed away from Kit, his mind snapping back to the reality that had been displayed in front of him only moments before. Kogasu clattered to the floor, leaving Kit to lift the zanpaktou before she turned to look at the pair.

The orange-head reached his twin to find him face down on the debris-covered ground, carefully gathering him into his arms and against his chest. Sora's eyes were closed, blood dripping from both corners of his lips, down his chin and throat.

"S-Sora?" Yoru whispered quietly, brushing a hand over his twin's face. "Sora, open your eyes!"

There was no response to his calls.

Yoru rose to his feet, cradling his twin against his chest and running back to Kit's side. The woman was standing near Nemu, who was repacking the bag that she held.

"I've collected what I need." the emotionless woman stated. "We can return now."

"Quickly!" Kit snapped.

Nemu removed a device from her bag, pressing a few buttons. "It will be a few moments before the Garganta is opened for us."

Yoru swore loudly. "A few moments! Sora doesn't have that long! Damnit!"

"Y-Yoru…"

The teen instantly looked down, meeting darkened teal eyes. Sora smiled shakily, the blood trickling from his lips ruining what should have been an endearing expression. "It's okay, Yoru…"

The elder growled. "Stop being stupid, Sora. It's not okay!"

Sora's smile never wavered as he reached up a trembling hand, his fingers just brushing his twin's cheek. "I-It's okay…" He coughed heavily, blood pouring from his mouth. "Y-You saved us… S-Saved Dad…"

Yoru could feel tears stinging his eyes, and he shook his head frantically. "Stop talking, you idiot! You're wasting your energy! Don't you say goodbye!"

The smile changed, and tears suddenly spilled down Sora's cheeks, his body shaking. "S-Sorry… I wasn't m-much help…"

"Shut up!" Yoru could hold back the tears no longer, his heart screaming at him to hurry, to get Sora to help, to do something other than _stand there_.

But he could do nothing. He could only wait for the Garganta to open.

Wait for his brother to die.

"Yo-ru…"

Yoru's watery eyes looked into his brother's, the shaking hand against his cheek once again. "Don't you leave me…" Yoru whispered, his voice cracking.

Sora smiled again. "Not even your strength… can keep me… here…"

Shock coursed through Yoru as, with the last bit of his strength, Sora brought their lips together. Sora's body fell limp, leaving Yoru with blood-stained lips and wide, sightless, tear-filled eyes.

"S-Sora?"

Silence.

"No… No…"

Sobs.

_**"SORA!"**_


	9. Chapter 9

Hope you guys like this chapter! There's an important note at the end of the chapter, please read it!

Chapter 9

"Yoru…"

The boy looked up with empty eyes, meeting the gaze of his white-haired papa. Toshiro felt sorrow flow through him once more, and he knelt down beside his son, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yoru, please, you need to eat."

Yoru shook his head vaguely, his soulless eyes focusing back on the floor. Toshiro's heart filled with anguish, and he shook Yoru's shoulder gently. "Please, sweetheart. Do it for me."

This time there was no response to his plea, Yoru staring doll-like at the floor, his body completely limp where he was propped in the corner. Toshiro sighed, pushing himself to his feet once more.

Yoru had been like this for the last eleven days, sitting in the corner of the hospital room and refusing to move. He didn't eat, and, as far as Toshiro could tell, he didn't sleep either. The _taichou_ was starting to worry.

He looked to the bed in the corner, where his other son lay, comatose and still.

_It's as though I'll soon have two sons in the hospital, instead of just one…_

Twelve days ago the group had returned, coming back after nearly two months of Soul Society's time, Nemu holding the cure for the disease, and Kit leading an unresponsive and inconsolably sobbing Yoru. Cradled in his arms was the lifeless form of his twin, not breathing and only just alive.

It had been thanks to Unohana's expertise and quick action that Sora had lived at all, but he still had not woken, and every day that he remained unconscious after the 23 hour long surgery his chances of waking grew less and less.

A chunk of Sora's heart had been ripped off, hanging freely in the confines of his chest. Unohana had said that it was a miracle it was even still functional, let alone actually beating. His stomach had been mutilated, nearly beyond all recognition, and it had taken hours of meticulous work to restore the organ. It was all up to the boy now, up to him and his will to live.

In this time, it seemed that Yoru had decided somewhere inside that if his twin were to die, he would follow shortly after. No matter how much Toshiro and Unohana pleaded with him, he had sat in that corner as soon as Sora had been taken from him and had not moved since, not eating, drinking, or sleeping. They had tried to force him down, but each time he had managed to fight them off.

He was wasting away, waiting for his brother to awaken.

Toshiro held back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks, turning away from his lifeless son to go take up his place at Sora's bedside once more. He held his youngest's hand, shaking slightly as he did.

"Please Sora…" Toshiro murmured. "Please wake up soon. Your brother needs you…"

There was a soft knock at the door, and it slid open to reveal Unohana. The woman looked at Yoru with sad eyes, moving forward to kneel beside him. She placed a hand beneath his bangs, pressing his head back to look into his face.

Yoru's head followed her movements limply, his empty eyes looking into hers. "Yoru." she commanded softly. "You must allow us to treat you. You need my help."

Again the boy shook his head only slightly, but he did not struggle against her.

There was a scoff from the door, and Toshiro looked up to see Ichigo there, his thin body in a wheelchair, a blanket wrapped around him. "Idiot." he rasped, his chocolate eyes on his son. "Tie him down if you must, Unohana. He's being an idiot."

Unohana nodded; Yoru may have been able to resist before, but now he was too weak to fight back. Isane appeared at her call, leaving a moment later to bring a bed and the necessary items that the woman would need.

Toshiro touched Ichigo's hand gently as the orange-head wheeled himself to his side, sorrow in his teal eyes. "Ichigo…"

The larger man smiled softly at his husband. "Don't worry about Yoru, Unohana will take care of him. I'm a little surprised you didn't tell her to do this sooner."

Toshiro looked away. "I was… I guess I was hoping he would snap out of it. I deluded myself for far too long. And we tried… we couldn't get him to cooperate without hurting him more..."

Ichigo put an arm around the white-haired _taichou's _shoulders, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Easy, it's okay. He's going to be fine. All of us are going to be okay now."

The smaller nodded, pressing his face into Ichigo's shoulder. Even though the orange-head's sickness was gone now, thanks to the cure, he was still a little shaky and weak, and Toshiro could feel his bones easily where his face was against him.

They both looked up as they heard sounds from the other side of the room, seeing the bed that Isane had brought. The two women were lifting Yoru, who was struggling weakly against them. It was obvious that they were having no trouble; Yoru hadn't the strength to fight back.

He went limp as they strapped his wrists and ankles to the bed, surrendering to them and staring silently at the ceiling. His lips opened silently, and Toshiro and Ichigo were both shocked to hear the words that came from his mouth.

"Let me… let me go to him… Please… just let me die…"

"Die…" Toshiro whispered. "Go to him?"

Understanding dawned in Ichigo's eyes. "He thinks Sora's dead. That's why he's doing this. He's convinced that Sora died."

Tears began to flow soundlessly down Yoru's cheeks. "Leave me… leave me to my brother… let me die… Please…"

Unohana leaned over him, placing a hand on his cheek. "Your brother lives, Yoru. He's there, on the other bed."

Yoru's sightless eyes slowly traveled to her. "L-Lives?"

The gentle woman nodded. "He's right beside you, fighting. He didn't die, Yoru, you brought him to us and we saved him."

Something glimmered in the teen's eyes. "Alive… But… I saw…"

Unohana nodded again. "You saw him unconscious. He wasn't breathing when we took him from you. _**We saved him, Yoru**_."

Yoru's eyes widened, and life filled them. "He's alive? Sora's alive?.!" His voice was scratchy and quiet because of the days without using it, but there was more life in his face now then any of them had seen since they had returned.

"He's right there."

The teen threw his head to the side, and his eyes landed on the sleeping face of his brother. Tears instantly filled his eyes and spilled down his face, anguished relief flooding over his features. "Sora's alive… He's okay… He's ali…"

At that moment his eyes rolled up and he slipped into unconsciousness, causing Toshiro to let out a soft cry of fear. Unohana smiled at him. "It's okay, Toshiro-_kun, _he's going to be just fine. His body just finally rebelled against him. He'll be okay."

"Thank god…" Toshiro breathed, slumping back against Ichigo's side.

Ichigo shook his head slightly, sighing. "What an idiot. That's my Yoru, though…"

* * *

The next time Yoru opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a white ceiling. He blinked heavily, slowly, and then heard a voice beside him.

"Yoru?"

Yoru turned his head, meeting teal eyes. "Papa…?"

"Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Toshiro murmured lovingly, reaching out to brush the orange hair away from his son's forehead. "I was so worried about you; I almost lost you."

The boy blinked. "I'm okay, I guess. What happened? The last thing I remember is…" His eyes suddenly widened. "Sora!"

Yoru sat bolt upright, and then moaned, swaying and falling back to the bed. "Oh, my head…."

"Easy there."

The teen turned his head, his eyes widening slightly as he looked into his father's face. "Dad! Dad, you're okay! That means…"

Ichigo nodded. "You guys did it. You brought back the cure."

"Sora?" Yoru asked frantically.

Ichigo shifted to the left, looking over his shoulder. "Right there, safe and sound. Alive."

Pressure lifted off of Yoru's chest and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, closing his eyes. "Thank god… I was so sure that he was gone… When did we get back? All I remember is waiting for the Garganta."

Toshiro blinked in shock. "That's really the last thing you remember? You don't remember all the days after you got here?"

Yoru frowned. "How long have we been here?"

Ichigo did a mental calculation. "You arrived back in Soul Society 3 weeks ago."

"Three _weeks?.!_"

The orange-headed man nodded. "Yup. Sora was in surgery for a day, and he's been in a coma ever since. You, though, you were an idiot. We couldn't get you to move or do anything for 12 days, and in the end we had to tie you down to treat you. You thought he was dead, and you wanted us to let you die with him. You've been asleep for the past nine days."

Yoru stared at the ceiling. "Three whole weeks… And Sora hasn't woken up?"

Toshiro shook his head. "Not once. Don't worry though, he should be fine. Unohana says that he should wake up before long. We were more worried about you for a while there; you nearly died."

"Sorry…" Yoru murmured, turning to look at his Papa. He suddenly blinked. "Papa, you…!"

The small _taichou_ blinked. "What?" He followed Yoru's gaze, and then smiled. "Oh, you mean this." He raised his hand, placing it on top of his swollen stomach. "You guys were gone a long time. I'm nearly 5 months now."

"We were only gone two days!" Yoru protested.

Ichigo scoffed. "Two days your time; time passes differently in Hueco Mundo. It's back to the way it was before Aizen was there; a day of their time appears to be a month of ours."

"Whoa…" Yoru absorbed this information for a moment, and then looked to the side as Toshiro took his hand gently.

"Here."

Yoru blinked in shock, and then blushed in embarrassment as Toshiro laid his hand on the swell of his belly. There was nothing for a moment, and then…

"I… I felt a kick!" Yoru said in shock. "I felt it!"

"Her." Toshiro correctly gently. "Your little sister said hello."

"Sister…" Yoru whispered. "A little sister."

A soft moan from the other side of the room made them all look up, their hearts leaping in happiness.

The child within Toshiro stirred in response to the sound, and Yoru smiled.

Their little sister was welcoming Sora back to consciousness.

* * *

See, I didn't kill Sora! I wouldn't do that to my precious twins!

Alright, I need some help you guys! I'm going to print out my stories in one book for myself, but I think that it's time that this series get an official name. I've been refering to it as the Behind Those Teal Eyes Saga, but I don't think that this is a satisfactory name for it. If you would like, for this chapter's reviews, you guys can submit names that you think would work. I'll post them in chapter 10, and then we'll have votes. I'll post the results in the Epilogue, the chapter right after. I have one name to put forth, and that is "The Sky of Night Saga." This is a play on Sora and Yoru's names, of course.

Thanks for your help you guys, you are my beloved reviewers! -bows- I AM NOT WORTHY OF YOUR PRAISE! I love you guys!


	10. Chapter 10

Alrighty you guys, I was a little disappointed in my response.... I only had two of you suggest names! Anyway, here they are....

Title Idea: Obverse Tigers  
Obverses second definition is "Serving as a counterpart or complement" and tigers is of course the twins zanpaktou spirits.

Title Idea 2: Melting Ice  
Because it is the twins and Ichigo that slowly melt Hitsugaya's very very very stubborn heart.

These two were suggested by dragonmaiden50. (Thanks!)

Dusk in Heaven

Lead me from Dawn to the Azure Skies

xXKimochiWatariXx (thanks a ton!)

Alright, these are the choices.

**Obverse Tigers  
Melting Ice  
Dusk in Heaven  
Lead Me from Dawn to the Azure Skies  
Sky of Night**

And then throw Saga on the end of it. Please vote, and I hope you like this chapter! Oh, and this is where the twincest really shows itself... some kissing.

* * *

Chapter 10

Yoru was out of the bed in an instant, nearly falling over himself as he did. Ichigo let out a shout of surprise, trying to catch Yoru when he nearly went down. Even the weakness of his limbs couldn't stop him, though; Yoru stumbled the 8 feet to his brother's bed, collapsing against it breathing hard.

"S-Sora! Sora!"

Tired teal eyes blinked open, and then turned to meet identical ones. "Hey… nii-_san_… Did we… did we get the cure?"

Tears rolled down Yoru's cheeks and he reached out to cup his twin's face in both hands, pressing their foreheads together as he pulled himself all the way onto the bed. "You idiot… You silly, wonderful idiot!"

Toshiro and Ichigo's mouths dropped open as Yoru covered his twin's mouth with his own, kissing him ferociously.

"I can't (kiss) believe (kiss) you (kiss) were so (kiss) stupid!" Yoru forced out between the frantic kisses he pressed to Sora's lips.

Sora grunted faintly, raising a hand to weakly press at his twin's chest. "Let me breathe, you moron!"

Yoru moved back immediately, but not before leaving another quick kiss against Sora's chin. "I can't believe you let yourself get caught like that…" Yoru muttered darkly, looking away from his twin.

Sora rolled his eyes. "What makes you think I did it on purpose? Besides, who's the idiot out of the two of us? You're the one that thought I was dead for days on end!"

"Wha…" Yoru blinked. "How did you know that?.!"

"I could hear almost everything you guys said. I just didn't wake up, because I knew that my body needed time to heal." Sora said firmly. He knocked a knuckle shakily against Yoru's forehead. "Next time check before you assume I've kicked the bucket."

Yoru blushed angrily, choosing to bury his face against Sora's throat rather than look at him. Sora rolled his eyes, but nuzzled his twin's hair nonetheless.

"Um…" Ichigo's voice was awkward sounding as he spoke. "Do you two have something to tell us?"

Yoru desperately wished that he could just crawl into his twin's side. _I totally forgot they were there!_

Sora grinned. "Dad, you're okay! I'm so glad we made it in time!"

Ichigo frowned, folding his arms. "Don't dodge the question, Sora."

The grin fell from the youngest twin's face. "Oh… um… surprise?"

Toshiro rolled his eyes. "You two… We just never know what to expect from you. Then again, I'm not sure what else you could throw at us at this point."

A sheepish smile came to Sora's face. "It just sorta… happened, Papa. We didn't mean for it to end up this way."

"You two were always abnormally close." Toshiro said with a smile. "I'm a little surprised that it didn't happen sooner, in all honesty."

Yoru's head snapped up. "Wha… You knew?"

Toshiro shook his head. "No, I didn't know. But I think that somehow I knew something like this would end up happening eventually."

"You're not mad?" Sora asked.

Ichigo grinned. "For what? At you for being in love? That's not something you can help. I think your Papa and I know that just as well as you do. We weren't supposed to fall in love either, although I think we're a little more in the clear than you two."

"Dad." Yoru said, his voice monotone. "That's not funny."

"You two are going to have to be careful." Toshiro put in. "Not everyone is going to be as accepting as us. We don't mind; just… think about things carefully from now on."

They both nodded. "Yes Papa."

Sora suddenly blinked. "Whoa… Papa, you're huge!"

There was a cracking sound, and a burning teal glare moved to Sora's face.

**"What?"**

The boy swallowed thickly. "U-U-Um… N-Nothing!"

"That's what I thought."

* * *

Matsumoto Rangiku looked up at the sound a knock on the 10th division door, glancing up from the dreaded paperwork that she was taking care of for her very pregnant and tired _taichou_.

"Enter!"

The door slid open to reveal the familiar orange heads of the twins, and they smiled at her as they walked in. "Hey boys, how are things going?"

Sora seemed a little more at ease than his brother; his voice was calm when he spoke. "Papa's still waiting; the labor is progressing slowly. Unohana-_taichou_ says that he probably has about 4 hours before he'll be ready to push."

"I don't like this whole situation." Yoru griped as he slid the door shut behind them. "I don't like being in there."

At that statement Sora gently tapped a knuckle on his twin's forehead, a loving smile on his face. "That's why we came to update Aunt Matsu, you dolt. Besides, I think that Papa and Dad needed a few moments to themselves."

Matsumoto smiled knowingly. "And so did you two."

They both looked at her, their eyes questioning, and at her nod they latched onto each other, their mouths colliding. Matsumoto politely averted her eyes, even though she could appreciate the sight. The twins often came to see her under the guise of some errand, if only to have the freedom to touch without fear.

The buxom woman had discovered them about two months ago, catching them making out in the 10th division office. She had laughed long and loud at their disheveled, blushing faces, and then lovingly told them that no matter what, she still cared for them. Since that time, she had become one of their trusted 'safe houses' in a way; they felt completely comfortable showing that part of themselves around her.

"Man…" Yoru breathed against Sora's lips, his fingers caressing the back of the other's neck. "I thought we were gonna be in there forever!"

Sora chuckled lightly. "Oh come on, we were only there for a few hours. Besides, it's not like we can't hold hands or anything; people are used to us doing that."

Yoru pouted slightly. "It's not the same thing and you know it."

"We need to be there for Papa; our little sister is going to come into the world soon." Sora responded, trailing his nose across Yoru's cheek. "Stop complaining. You can last a few hours without a make out session."

Matsumoto laughed at those words. "You're just like your father, Yoru, such a horn-dog!"

Yoru raised an eyebrow. "Like Dad?"

The woman nodded. "He was always coming in here to molest _taichou_ when he had a chance. You two are so much like them it's not even funny."

Sora laughed softly, gently tangling his fingers through Yoru's. "Thanks Aunt Matsu. Are you going to come down to the 4th?"

She thought a moment, tapping her finger against her chin. "I'll probably head down before long, but you two should get back to your parents. I know that _taichou_ would like to have you there."

They both nodded together, turning to leave the room. Yoru flashed a grin over his shoulder at her. "Thanks!"

She smiled. "It's not a problem." The door slid shut, and her expression softened slightly. "I just wish that you two didn't have to hide from the world…"

* * *

Yoru glanced up as he heard the door slide open, looking up into his father's tired chocolate eyes. Sora jumped up after him, his heart pounding in excitement.

A warm smile passed onto Ichigo's face. "They're both fine. She's perfectly healthy and beautiful, and Toshiro's doing just fine. Do you two want to come see them?"

Sora let out a happy shout, throwing his arms around Yoru in excitement. The older twin was in a bit of a daze, his teal eyes wide. "We have a little sister…" he murmured, and then a grin broke out over his face. "We have a sister!"

"Come on!" Sora said excitedly, tugging on Yoru's hand. Together the two of them slipped past Ichigo and down the hallway, coming to the room that they knew their Papa to be inside.

Toshiro looked up as they appeared at the doorway, an exhausted smile on his sweaty face and a small blanket-wrapped bundle in his arms. "Hey boys. Come on, come and see her."

Wonder crept onto both their faces, and Sora took the lead, moving forward to lean over the bed. Love crept onto his features as he looked into the tiny, pink face. "Hey… I'm your nii-_chan!_"

Yoru let out a small sound behind him. "Hey, don't leave me out! I'm your nii-_chan_ too!"

Toshiro laughed slightly, carefully shifting so both twins could see the tiny baby in his arms. She shifted in his arms, and then her big eyes fluttered open. They were warm and liquid chocolate, just like Ichigo's, light orange hair dusting her small head.

"She's gorgeous, Papa…" Sora breathed, a finger reaching out to rub across the girl's cheek. "What's her name?"

Ichigo's voice was the one that answered them. "We named her for your grandmother."

Toshiro nodded. "Her name is Masaki."

Sora and Yoru smiled down at their sister, speaking as one.

"Welcome to the family, Masaki-_chan_!"


	11. Epilogue

Wow, I can't believe how far this simple little story has gone... I'll have you guys know, "Behind Those Teal Eyes" started out as a couple of lines in the back of one of my notebooks that I never thought would go anywhere. I certainly never expected it to explode into the huge amount of stories that it is! Eight stories, 170 combined pages on Microsoft Word, and a combined amount of over 73,000 words. I'm so amazed! And as much as I hate to do it, it's time to put this series to rest. It's been over a year and a half since this saga began, and now it's over... I am so blessed to have had so many incredible reviewers and readers.

I must say, the votes were pretty interesting to watch. The final tally is this...

Melting Ice 1

Obverse Tigers 3

Sky of Night 5

Dusk in Heaven 1

Lead Me from Dawn to the Azure Skies 3

So "Sky of Night" it is. Without futher ado, I present to you the Epilogue of "Outbreak," the final story in the **Sky of Night Saga**.

* * *

Epilogue

Sora closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the cool wind flowing across his skin. The sun was beating down on his skin, warm and inviting. He breathed deep, joy flooding through him as he opened his eyes to look out from his perch on the roof of their family home.

Things had never been better; he felt as though life couldn't improve anymore. Things had settled down, and they had been able to get back to their lives as though nothing had happened. Masaki was growing fast, already tall for her age of only 3. These past years with her had been nothing short of a miracle, and Sora was so glad that she was with them.

There was a touch at his waist, and then a strong and familiar arm wrapped around his middle. A smile lit up Sora's face and he turned to meet the identical teal eyes of his older twin. Yoru's face was glimmering with sweat; he had been sparring earlier.

"Hey Sora." Yoru murmured, his voice deep. These past three years had changed them a little, and even though they were both fully grown and had been for some time, Yoru's voice had deepened a little with their age. At nearly 23 years old, both twins were powerful and sturdy men, Yoru with a voice that was now deeper than both of their parents.

"What are you doing up here?" Yoru asked softly, looping his muscular arm around his twin's waist and pressing himself against his back, resting his chin on the younger's shoulder.

Sora rested his cheek against Yoru's, smiling as he laid his arms atop his twin's. "Just thinking, and enjoying the breeze."

Yoru closed his eyes slightly at the cool wind wafted over them, a smile crossing his lips. "Does feel good."

They stood in silence for a few more moments, and then Yoru turned his head, pressing a few kisses along Sora's throat. At the touch Sora tilted his head a little, purring softly in his throat and closing his eyes in pleasure.

Yoru's breath was warm and inviting against Sora's ear, his deep voice husky. "Wouldn't you rather be with me?"

Sora grinned, turning his head to kiss Yoru's lips. "Of course, dear one. But you have to remember, we have a curious little sister who knows how to open doors and seems to have no regard for personal space."

"Yes, we do." Yoru grumped slightly, plopping his chin back on his brother's shoulder.

Sora chuckled faintly, running his fingers through Yoru's hair gently; lovingly. "Horny bastard."

Yoru grinned, brushing his nose across Sora's cheek. "You love me anyway."

"Sometimes I wonder why." Sora returned playfully.

"Yoru-_nii_! Sora-_nii_!"

Both looked up at the familiar yell, smiles coming to both of their faces as Yoru allowed his arms to fall away from Sora's waist. Sora moved a little faster than his brother, leaping off the edge of the roof and falling to the ground, darting forward to scoop up Masaki as he did.

The little girl gave a delighted shriek, a smile across her face as she wrapped her arms around Sora's neck. "Sora-_nii_!"

Somehow she always knew them apart.

Sora tickled her playfully, laughing with her as she closed her warm chocolate eyes in happiness. Her downy light orange hair flowed over her shoulders, shifting across Sora's skin as he threw her over a shoulder and spun around.

Masaki screamed happily, fading off into excited giggles as her small hands wrapped in the back of Sora's _shihakshou_. "Sora-_nii_! Sora-_nii_!"

Yoru hit his brother in the midsection, lifting them both off the ground and earning a happy shout from Masaki and a shriek of surprise from Sora. Yoru overbalanced, and they all went toppling to the ground, Yoru letting out a grunt as Sora landed on his stomach.

Masaki scrambled across Sora's chest, shifting to Yoru, who had his eyes closed. "Yoru-_nii_, are you okay?"

He didn't respond to her, and she frowned, patting his cheek with a small hand. "Yoru-_nii_?"

Yoru grinned, opening his eyes and wrapping an arm around her waist, grabbing her. "Boo!"

Masaki shrieked, and then laughed happily, throwing her arms around Yoru's neck and nuzzling her face against his. "You scared me!"

The elder blew a raspberry against her cheek, at which she made a face and pushed him away. "Yucky!"

Sora laughed, rolling off of his brother to lay beside him. Masaki instantly threw herself onto her other sibling, making him let out an 'oof' sound as she landed on his chest. "I love you Sora-_nii_!"

The younger twin laughed. "I love you too, Masaki-_chan_."

"Can we go find Papa and Daddy?" Masaki asked, tilting her little head.

Sora nodded. "If you want. Are they hiding?"

She shrugged. "I went by their room to see them, but I couldn't get in. And I heard some loud noises! That's why I came to get you!"

Yoru snorted, quickly covering his mouth to keep the laughs in. Sora only barely restrained himself, grinning instead. "Let's leave them alone for a while, Masaki-_chan_. Come on, let's play some tag, would you like that?"

The little girl grinned, clapping her hands together. "Yay!" She quickly slapped a hand against Sora's chest, jumping up an instant later. "You're it, Sora-_nii_!"

"I'm gonna get you!"

Masaki's happy giggles were his only response.


End file.
